


Love Always Finds a Way

by MamoruSanSan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-24 22:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4937803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamoruSanSan/pseuds/MamoruSanSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU-Soulmate short story of Rumbelle.</p><p>In an AU where the first thing your soulmate would ever say to you is tattooed on your body on your 21st birthday, Mr. Gold is alone, and his skin has been clear for 24 years. Until, that is, Belle French walked into his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Always Finds a Way

**Author's Note:**

> I edited the story, changing the ending slightly (The last bits are the same, but their words are different, because I decided I'd like this better)

Adam Gold had given up ever finding his soulmate. 24 years had come and gone since his 21st birthday, and his skin was still has clear as it was since the moment he was born. The first few days he checked all over every morning, just to see if he was just a late bloomer. But the months passed by and then years and he was still alone.

He had gotten married once, to a harpy of a lady who told him that she didn’t believe in the “whole soulmate thing.” He and Milah were happy being cynical together for a few years, until just after their son’s 3rd birthday. On that fateful day in August, when she had been out meeting with friends, she met the man whose words had been permanently tattooed on her chest since she was 21. And suddenly, she believed in the “whole soulmate thing,” taking half his possessions as well as custody of the child she would soon send to an orphanage without any word to him. He had fought the court about that, of course. But his law degree was absolutely worthless when they declared that what she had done was perfectly legal. And now his son was with another family and probably had forgotten all about him.

So yes, Adam Gold had given up many many many years ago. Instead, he invested what was left of his money into the stock market, and learned to play at trading. When he had amassed most of his fortune back from before his divorce, he settled down in a small town in Maine where he slowly bought the deeds to each establishment, one by one, and the land surrounding the town. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do with his time or money.

In this little town, he liked to take a walk every morning from his house to his shop. Walking was better than driving, he thought. He could keep order in his little peaceful town just by glaring at the inhabitants. If the Mayor was upset he had pressured another deal to go his way, he would laugh bitterly and explain to her that this was how he worked. If the school teacher bumped into him outside of the grocery store because she was too busy carrying the new supplies for her class, he would tap his cane impatiently while she blathered on apologizing. And if the town psychiatrist was on his daily walk as well, he would pause to scratch at his pet dalmatian’s ears for less than a second.

Yes, ever since he had given up searching and hoping to find love somewhere, he had become miserly and grumpy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He would enter his shop at 8am on the dot and flip his sign. His pawnshop was his way of giving back to the community that he had decidedly capitalized on. If a citizen was desperate enough to come to him to sell or to buy, he would gladly make a deal with them, but for the most part, they were smart enough to stay a good 10 feet away from his shop windows. His deals, no matter how fair they seemed at the time, always tended to end with him on top. Most people stayed away. Most.

Gold looked up at the clock on the wall next to his counter. It was a Tuesday, nearing 9am, and _she_ would arrive any moment now, like she always did on Tuesdays at 9. A young brunette college student who he never shared more than a few words with would peer her head into the shop, cautiously letting the bell above the door ring, as if she didn’t wish to make a noise and disturb the peace that was his shop.

Her love was books, and she was his only repeat customer. A part of her intrigued him, so he would always put the antique books he would acquire front and center in the window to entice her. He was sure that if others knew she came to him weekly for her rare books, they would be warning her to stay away from the mean old man who never had time for a sob story when rent was due. 

As he arranged his inventory for the third time this week, he heard his door chime softly. Belle French entered his shop as she always did, her bag slung over one shoulder, her eyes darting from this book to that.

“Well, good morning, Miss French.” He said, looking up and trying to keep a smile from crawling across his face. As much as he didn’t wish to admit it, he had been looking forward to her coming. She was a small flicker of light in what was his usual ocean of dreariness. “See anything you like?”

“I was wondering,” she started softly, as if testing the waters. Usually she would hand him a book and a smile and that would be it. Gold perked up his ears. Oh, she was going to ask a question. “What would you suggest a girl to get for her own 21st birthday?” 

Gold paused for a second and then shook his head slowly. “I can’t say, sweetheart. I haven’t been 21 for many years.” He chuckled slightly. “It’s not really a time I care to remember, either.” Finishing with the list he was perusing, he filed it back into the box it came from and tucked it away neatly. He grabbed his cane and fought against his instincts that wanted to stay behind the counter. Soon he was standing next to her glancing over at his books. “You’ve had an affinity for fantasies, you should pick up One Thousand and One Nights.” As he reached out for it, her hand shot out as well. As they bumped into each other, Gold withdrew his with a sharp intake of breath, as if he had just been burned. Not noticing his reaction, she grabbed the book.

“I have heard of the story.” She mumbled, her eyes fixated on the faded cover. She leafed through the first few pages ad Gold rubbed his fingers. He hadn’t physically touched any other human with his own hands in so long that it felt… _needed_. Even a bump like that had felt like an eternity. He mused about the numbness he felt that he almost missed her next words. Belle’s lips were moving in slow motion.

“I will buy this!” She determined, holding out the book for him to ring up. Tentatively, he reached out for the book and gripped it tightly all the way back to the register. He rang her up in silence. When he handed back her change and the book, she gave him a wide smile. “Mr. Gold, thank you. I was extremely nervous about tomorrow, my friends are saying that when you wake up on your 21st birthday, your whole life changes, and I just wanted to be spirited away on one of my adventures so I wouldn’t have to even think about it.” She gripped her new book to her chest tightly before placing it securely in her bag. She turned to go and had almost made it to the door when-

“I am sorry to ask a personal thing, but what does your tattoo say?” she asked. Gold’s heart sank. No one had cared to ever ask him, and he had hoped he would never have to. It was too much of a shock to him that anyone would even dare to ask that he couldn’t find the words to lie.

“I don’t have one.” he croaked. Belle furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side. Her look of concern shot him through the heart as well. He didn’t need pity all over again, especially from a beautiful young lady who would probably find her life all settled nicely tomorrow.

“Mr. Gold, you shouldn’t joke about that, I could see some of your letters on the nape of your neck when you went to the register.” Gold immediately put his hand to the back of his neck. Brushing aside his graying hair, he felt the raised skin. Immediately he felt his mouth dry and his hands feel clammy. Had he missed that all these years? How could he? Why had Milah never said anything if it was there before? No, he was sure, it wasn’t there when he turned 21. So, when did it-

His stunned look must have confused Belle, for she sidled out quietly, leaving him to ponder on his own. As soon as she was out of sight, he walked as fast as his bad leg would take him to the back room to find two mirrors. He held up one in his right hand as he tried to peer over his shoulder to read the backwards text, pulling his hair and collar down as far as he could, his heart pounding in his ears.

_If you were, who could refuse such a charming man?_

The words echoed in his ears as he read it over and over again. He couldn’t be certain, but he knew that it wasn't there when he was younger. But now, here it was. The words someone would say to him. Perhaps someone already did and he missed it, because he hadn’t known about it. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t charming. He was a beast of a man, biting at anyone who had come near him. No one would ever think of him that way, and he wouldn’t find his soulmate after all. The feeling of dismay washed over him once more.

The rest of the day passed by in a daze, and he ended up spending the night in the back room. He awoke the next morning rumpled and disheveled on the hard cot. He changed himself into a cleaner suit, checking the neck again as he switched shirts, and wobbled back out to the store floor. Thinking he couldn’t deal with a day of dealing with the townspeople coming to him with their woes after what he learned yesterday, he decided to take a personal day. Not like anyone would notice if he took the day off anyway.

Another week passed as always: mundane and plain. On occasion, a townsfolk would come in to ask for help. The marriage between the Nolans was in tatters after David had cheated on Katherine. He offered him a diamond necklace to bring home to appease her, if staying with her was what he really wanted. Marco the Carpenter wandered in after work one day and took a liking to two puppets sitting on the counter and brought them home.

Other than those two instances of customers, he had been fairly open the rest of the week. He found himself in the back room on Tuesday morning, dully unwrapping a new package of tableware that he had just acquired when his bell chimed softly. His heart beating a half beat faster, he put the package away and hobbled out to the front room. Even if she wasn’t the one for him, she was still someone he had started to enjoy immensely.

Just as he was hoping, Belle had returned and she was hovering near the books again. She hadn't noticed him come through the curtains from the back, her gaze so intently focused on a new leather-bound tomb he had resting front and center on the cases. She picked it up with both her hands, running her fingers over the bindings. She muttered softly to herself, caressing the cover. She went to open the first page.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Gold said, from beside her, making her jump. She almost dropped the book, fumbling and clutching it to her chest. Her wide eyes looked up at him, her mouth open ever so slightly. He chuckled apologetically. “It’s the first line of the book, dearie. Pride and Prejudice. I promise that I am not the one in want of a wife.” As if his titter had unfroze her, she found herself laughing as well. Hers was an absolutely beautiful sound, like the ringing of clear crystal. It was his turn to be surprised. She placed a hand on his atop his cane, a wide smile now alight on her face.

“If you were, who could refuse such a charming man?” Belle said, tugging at the collar of her jacket. In the little crevice of her collar bone, the exact words he quoted were shining back at him in beautiful flowing script. 

Gold staggered back in shock. Those words- This wasn’t- How- It wasn't possible. His- his soulmate was Belle French? A young college student who had both beauty and brains, someone less than half his age? He tried to hold onto his cane for support, but Belle’s hand was still there. Instead, he pulled away and fell to the floor, not able to support his weight.

Sitting there against the glass case, he started laughing loudly. The whole situation was absolutely hysterical. Soon, Belle was giggling along, sitting herself down next to him.They had much to discuss, if they were destined to be soulmates, not the least being what to do when the town found out.

As they settled down, it hit him. A reason why he didn’t have any words when he turned 21. Belle French of Storybrooke, Maine had not been born yet. She would have been born when he was 24, and at that point he had already been in year two of his rocky marriage with Milah. It had escaped their notice then, and he had never checked after.

Gold flipped the sign on his door to CLOSED and led Belle to the back room and pulled up chairs for both of them. No matter what the fates try to do to bind people together, ultimately it was up to them to see it through, regardless of whether it would end in love or disaster. Both the naive young lady and the misanthropic old man had a lifetime of work ahead of them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in a short story that is different (because I was prompted to in the comments) I wrote another bit in the comments below of a "What if Milah and Gold had realized in the past?"


End file.
